2/10/2011

Coupling

Pamphlet Architecture 30: Coupling: Strategies for Infrastructural Opportunismis the name of Mason White, Lola Sheppard, Neeraj Bhatia and Maya Przybylski’s exploration of infrastructure “as artificially maintained natural systems.” The book promises to offer a counterpoint to “a New Deal approach of massive engineering or iconic infrastructure, Coupling employs adaptable, responsive, small-scale interventions whose impacts are global in scale.” The authors generously commissioned a mid-word/intermission (if it’s not the forward or afterword, what do you call it?) from me for their pamphlet: It’s a frank assessment of the turn toward environment (versus space) and the embrace of geography (versus design) in recent architecture and all its promise and pitfalls. I truly appreciate them publishing a work that is more rumination than plug! (David Gissen, HTC Experiments)